Osakar
Average Size: 3 meters tall Average Mass: 100 kg Average Lifespan: 225 years Reproduction: parthenogenesis Body Temp: 42C PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND STRUCTURE Osakar are very tall, long-limbed creatures. Four legs grow symmetrically from the lower portion of their barrel-shaped bodies and constitute 65% of their height. Each leg has two opposing knees and can fold up to lower the Osakar to a height of a little under 2 meters. Osakar have two arms with shoulder joints similar to those of a Vrusk, but they aren't double jointed. The hands are short and powerful with five fingers (each finger has five knuckles) and two opposing thumbs (each thumb has three knuckles). The Osakar head is set slightly forward of the shoulders on a long, thick, muscular neck. This neck can turn the head straight back, so the Osakar can easily look behind itself. The Osakar head has a very flat face with little detail. The two eyes are totally black. The nose is an intricately baffled vertical opening. The mouth is a mere slit containing hard, bony ridges used for chewing. Two opposing tongues, one on either side of the mouth, can be seen. The Osakar epidermis is is made up of thousands of large. white, hard, plate-like cells that are shingled downward all over the body. They resemble a huge, white plant more than any animal. Osakar have only one sex, which is considered female and new individuals are developed from unfertilized eggs. To all other races Osakar appear completely identical, like clones. SENSES Osakar have vision, hearing, and a sense of touch comparable to that of mankind. They have the finest sense of taste and smell on the Frontier (see Special Abilities). SPEECH Osakar speak a strange language that is quite beautiful. The two tongues produce sounds no other race can make and the use of their baffled nose-hole adds exotic fluting which is entrancing. They have no problem learning to speak new languages. ATTITUDES Osakar try to get along with everyone, but some of the other races are barely able to tolerate the Osakar, probably because of their appear ance. Most Humans are afraid of Osakar (because of their "spidery" legs) and the two races never live close to each other. The only races that get along with them are the Ifshnits (after centuries of trade and interaction) and the Humma (because no one likes them either). SPECIAL ABILITIES Highly Developed Smell: All Osakar have highly developed olfactory senses. These are so accurate that an Osakar can recognize and identify even very weak odors that it has encountered in the past, including people. Any Osakar learning the Tracking skill has a +2 Column Shift added to its success rate, unless something has masked or removed the scent. Languages: Because of their unique mouth structure Osakar can duplicate all known languages. The Osakar are the finest linguists known. An Osakar character starts the game knowing any four civilized languages it desires in addition to PanGal and Osakish. SOCIETY AND CUSTOMS The incredible physical similarities between Osakars has an interesting impact on Osakar society. All Osakar are absolutely equal and have the same rights. They are the only race that has achieved perfect equality. Their lack of distinguishing features not only reinforces this equality, but also channels their natural inclination toward individuality in a most unusual direction. No two Osakar sound alike, the inflection and tone of their voice being unmistakably different. Some even adopt other languages permanently. This desire to be different also manifests itself in their religious beliefs. Every known religion in the galaxy, including ancient and "forgotten" religions, is being practiced by at least one Osakar. All Osakar are fervently religious, but the religion itself is not as important as the fact that the Osakar believes in it. But the Osakar desire for individualism is most notably expressed in their apparel. While Osakar can live comfortably in most climates without clothing, apparel accounts for a major portion of their personal expenses. They absolutely love fashion. Gaudy, tasteful, tacky, luxurious, the range of Osakar apparel is without limits and changes continuously. (Osakar characters must spend at least 20% of their income on clothing and accessories.) Osakar do not limit their outfits to one gender or species; any clothing that fits, from any culture or time period, may be worn by an Osakar